The level of moral development of white Afrikaans speaking, white English speaking, black Sotho
speaking, black Xhosa speaking and black Zulu speaking adolescent boys and girls in early, middle
and late adolescence {12-19 years) in South Africa was investigated separately, cross-culturally
and with regard to gender differences and age differences. Possible relationships between level of
moral development and urban/country living environments, level of identity development and locus of
control orientation for the above­ mentioned groups were also investigated for cultural and gender
differences.
White and black adolescents do not reason to the same extent at different stages of moral
development and they exhibit different moral developmental patterns. Black adolescents function
significantly more than white adolescents at lower stages of moral reasoning while white
adolescents function significantly more than black adolescents at higher stages of moral reasoning.
White adolescents reveal a moral developmental pattern in line with
Western values and norms which corresponds with Kohlberg's theory. Black adolescents
reveal a different moral developmental pattern which does not correspond with Kohlberg's theory.
With regard to the white adolescent group, girls reach significantly higher stages of moral
development than boys. With regard to black adolescent boys and girls, no significant gender
differences in level of moral reasoning were found. Moral development takes place in accordance
with age in stages according to a specific pattern. Younger adolescents function more at lower
moral reasoning stages than older adolescents while older adolescents display more signs of
higher moral reasoning stages than younger adolescents. No differences in the moral development of
adolescent boys who come from urban environments and those from country districts were found.
Girls from urban environments function significantly more than girls from country districts at
higher levels of moral development.
A significant relationship was found between level of moral development and level of identity
development for white adolesceJJtS. No such relationship was found for black
adolescents. No relationship between level of moral development and locus of control
orientation for white and black adolescents in South Africa was found.
The findings were considered in relation to different types of socialisation, socio-cultural
factors, culture-historical aspects and adolescent developmental characteristics.

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